Designed for beginner to intermediate orchardists managing backyard plantings to larger orchards. Learn to prune fruit trees to encourage vigorous growth, heavy fruit set, and quality fruit yield. Scionwood collection and storage will also be covered. Confirmation and directions will be sent a week prior to the start of the workshop. Please keep in mind that pre-registration and payment are required and this course fills up quickly!

Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News

Why is genetically modified bluegrass exempt from Federal regulation?Treehugger - 7/8/2011. By Matthew McDermott – In the head scratcher of the week, New York Times reports that the US Department of Agriculture has decided that genetically modified bluegrass developed by Scotts Miracle-Gro can be sold without any federal oversight. The grass seed, intended for lawns, has been modified to be resistant to the popular herbicide Roundup.

That Perfect Florida Tomato, Cultivated for Bland UniformityThe New York Times - 7/7/2011.Review of Barry Estabrook's book, Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.To get a successful tomato crop in Florida, growers pump the soil full of chemical fertilizers and can blast the plants with more than 100 different herbicides and pesticides, including some of the most toxic in agribusiness’s arsenal. Migrant workers are coated with these chemicals too. The toll that’s taken on them, in the form of birth defects, cancer and other ailments, is hideous to observe and should fill those who eat Florida tomatoes with shame.

In Maine, eating local just keeps getting easierPortland Press Herald - 7/7/2011.By Meredith Goad – Stephanie Hedlund scoured the Portland Farmers Market in Monument Square on Wednesday, looking for just the right vegetables to put in a tamale casserole she was thinking about making for her clients. Hedlund's new business is called Clara Burke Kitchen. She prepares meals made with local, seasonal products from Maine farms and delivers them right to her clients' doorsteps.

Island oasis serves as sustainable system of food productionPortland Press Herald - 7/6/2011.By Avery Yale Kamila – If you've ordered a salad at the Cockeyed Gull on Peaks Island this summer, there's a good chance you've eaten lettuce grown at the Island Micro Farm. Located on the back side of Peaks Island, the farm is a new enterprise created by resident Mark Shain, following a permaculture model.

Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Coastal Enterprises Inc., 30 Federal St., Brunswick, Maine. Full-day workshop designed to help established and beginning farmers understand the financials of their business and learn how to make informed decisions to increase profits. Instructor Julia Shanks is the author of "The Farmer's Office: Tools, Tips and Templates to Successfully Manage a Growing Farm Business." $100 per person; $135 for two people coming from the same farm. Scholarships available. Information and registration.

Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity. There is no place more important to get off to a good start than growing seedlings for your farm. The program at Spring Growth this year will help you evaluate your production with topics from how to set up the production equipment (benches, containers, etc.), evaluate your soil mix, keep up the plant nutrition and avoid problems. Hear from farmers and service providers including Ann Mefferd, Alicyn Smart, Bruce Hoskins and Stephanie Burnett. Information. Fee: $75 for individuals, $100 for couples. Lunch is included. Registration

Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity. To help develop or refine a labor model that works for your farm, we invite you to join a diverse group of farmers for a day of 'participatory professional development' to explore labor management models used on Maine farms today. Please contact Ryan at rdennett@mofga.org with any questions.